The invention relates to a lifting and tipping device for emptying containers into the loading opening of a collecting container, particularly for emptying refuse containers into the collecting container of a refuse truck, with a swivel drive device arranged in the area of the loading opening, to which at least one swivel arm with a device for receiving a container is connected with a non-positive fit.
Such a lifting and tipping device is known from EP 0 358 046 B1. The swivel arm forms part of an articulated quadrangle comprising a lifting and tipping frame, the swivel arm, a lower guide rod and a support arm. The driving mechanism for the lifting and tipping device is a swivel drive device with a coaxial upper and lower cylinder piston arrangement and a rack-and-pinion gear with drive shaft actuated by the two cylinder piston arrangements therebetween. The swivel arm is attached to the drive shaft in a non-positive fit. The support arm is mounted so as to be freely rotatable on the drive shaft and is thus coaxial thereto. The swivel arm device and the articulated quadrangle form a closed unit mounted in the area of the loading opening.
When the swivel drive device is actuated, the swivel arm is swung upward causing the articulated quadrangle to open up into a rectangle. To fix the opened articulated quadrangle, an additional limit device is provided. The opening of the articulated quadrangle is combined with a wide swivel movement of the container receiving device. As a consequence, under some circumstances, the container to be picked up may be pushed away considerably from the lifting and tipping device before the rim of the container is grasped from underneath. This problem occurs especially if the container is particularly high. On sloping terrain the refuse container may, under some circumstances, roll away. Since the swivel drive device is fixed on the collecting container and itself does not execute a lifting movement, the entire lifting and swivel movement for tipping the refuse container into the opening is executed by the articulated quadrangle, which requires correspondingly long swivel arms.
It is the object of the invention to create a more compact lifting and tipping device in which the container receiving device, as it grasps the refuse container, moves essentially from bottom to top without an appreciable horizontal component.
This object is attained by a lifting and tipping device in which the swivel drive device is fixed to a slide that is guided in a substantially vertical rail. Means are provided to transform the rotation of the swivel drive device, during a simultaneous swivel movement of the swivel arm, into a lifting movement of the slide, which stops at a defined height of lift. The slide can be locked in relation to the rail at the defined height of lift.
The lifting and tipping device according to the invention can be mounted either on the side of the refuse truck (side loader) or at the rear (rear loader). Furthermore, the lifting and tipping device can be a single device, or two lifting and tipping devices can be arranged side by side and mounted on a common slide, or each on its own slide, so that they can be actuated independently of one another. The slide or slides may also be guided in two lateral rails, which increases the stability of the entire device.
The advantage of the lifting and tipping device is that the swivel drive device is automatically raised when actuated. As a result, the swivel arm and thus also the container receiving device execute a combined lifting and swiveling movement, so that the swivel arm can be extremely short. Due to the short swivel arm, the container receiving device is only a few centimeters away from the swivel drive device. This lifting and tipping device makes it possible securely to grasp containers of various heights, without the container being pushed away from the lifting and tipping device by the swivel movement of the container receiving device.
After the refuse container has been grasped and a defined height of lift is reached, the lifting movement is terminated by locking the slide in relation to the rail and only the swiveling movement of the swivel drive device continues to tip the refuse container into the loading opening. The movement of the swivel drive device need not be interrupted. This ensures a continuous process without any delays.
After emptying, the swivel drive device is put in reverse. When it reaches a defined swivel position, the lock is canceled, so that a lowering motion is added to the swivel motion until the container reaches the ground and the container receiving device detaches from the container rim or a defined end position is reached.
According to a preferred embodiment, the means for transforming the rotation of the swivel drive device, during a simultaneous swivel movement of the swivel arm, into a lifting movement of the slide which stops at a defined height of lift, may comprise a support lever and a connecting rod. The connecting rod on the one hand is coupled eccentrically to the swivel drive device and on the other hand to the support lever, which in turn is coupled to the slide and directly or indirectly to the collecting container.
The connecting rod is preferably arranged on the swivel drive device in such a way that it moves downward in relation to the swivel drive device as the container receiving device is swiveled.
The eccentric arrangement of the connecting rod is preferably selected so that in the lowered position, the coupling point of the connecting rod on the swivel drive device is approximately at the same height as the swivel axis of the swivel drive device. This coupling point is located between the swivel drive device and the collecting container to create a compact arrangement.
When the swivel drive device is actuated, this coupling point moves downward so as to press the connecting rod downward. Since the connecting rod is simultaneously supported against the support lever, the swivel drive device is lifted because the slide is shifted along the rail.
The support lever is preferably an angle lever extending underneath the slide in the direction of the collecting container where it is directly or indirectly coupled to a stationary component.
The angle lever is preferably connected with the collecting container via a link element to permit limited horizontal mobility.
Advantageously, the rotary axes passing through the coupling points of support lever and connecting rod are arranged parallel to the swivel axis of the swivel drive device.
The support lever is furthermore advantageously coupled to a holding element fixed to the slide and extending underneath the swivel drive device from the slide up to in front of the swivel drive device. This simultaneously creates a connection between angle lever and slide so that the lifting movement can be executed in conjunction with the connecting rod. The connecting rod is arranged adjacent to the coupling point of the angle lever on the holding element. The two coupling points are located at the free end of an arm of the angle lever.
The coupling point of the connecting rod on the angle lever is preferably located between the coupling point of the angle lever with the holding element and the slide. With the movement of the connecting rod, a simultaneous tipping movement of the angle lever is executed, which supports the lifting movement of the slide.
To limit the lifting movement, a locking mechanism that can be actuated by the connecting rod upon reaching a defined height of lift is arranged on the slide. This locking mechanism is preferably actuated when the coupling point of the connecting rod is approximately below the swivel axis of the swivel drive device. The locking mechanism preferably has a spring-loaded bolt that engages with an opening of a locking plate arranged on the rail at the predefined height of lift.
Since, as the swivel movement of the swivel drive device continues, the connecting rod also moves, while a further lifting movement is at the same time prevented by the lock, the connecting rod is extended. Thus, the connecting rod is preferably telescopic.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the drawings in which: